<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Rest by Storyteller_of_the_Forest</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26153125">Rest</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storyteller_of_the_Forest/pseuds/Storyteller_of_the_Forest'>Storyteller_of_the_Forest</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anxiety, Brothers, Family is family, Feels, Gen, Healing, Hope, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki is a Good Bro (Marvel), New Asgard, No Slash, PTSD, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Resting, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Thor Needs a Hug (Marvel), Trauma, so many feels</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:16:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,569</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26153125</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storyteller_of_the_Forest/pseuds/Storyteller_of_the_Forest</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes even the caretaker needs to be taken care of. </p>
<p>The first night Thor returns home from the hospital, he finds Loki has been having trouble sleeping. The god of thunder vows to chase away his brother's nightmares as the trickster has done for him so often in the past.</p>
<p>(Part of my ongoing New Asgard series)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Loki &amp; Thor (Marvel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Rest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello readers!</p>
<p>I have some plans for the weekend, so I decided to post today.</p>
<p>I have a very clear picture in my mind of the time shortly after Thor is discharged from the hospital. I really want to explore it more in depth, eventually. For right now, I just wanted to focus on that first night. Because as much as this is about Thor, it's also about Loki. In my mind, Loki is not great when it comes to stress. He was experiencing a lot of stress when Thor was in the hospital because he couldn't really do anything to help. That situation was entirely out of his control and Loki didn't like that.</p>
<p>Anyhow, this is just a fic about that first night home.</p>
<p>Looking forward to reading your reactions. Thank you so much for leaving comments. They always make me feel all warm and fuzzy &lt;3</p>
<p>REGULAR WARNINGS</p>
<p>Haven't seen Infinity War and am not going to see Infinity War (the Russos are terrible human beings. I don't want to hear about them or their god awful garbage).</p>
<p>I don't do romantic ships, especially not between family members. If you're into that kind of thing, go elsewhere (and don't tag my work with incest ships, please).</p>
<p>I'm still somewhat new to writing fics. So I apologize for any mistakes, mis-characterizations, formatting errors, or just any glaring errors. Please be gentle: writing fics is literally stress relief for me.</p>
<p>Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. I don't own anything, obviously all characters and recognizable aspects belong to Marvel.</p>
<p>I hope you enjoy the story and thank you for reading :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>The night Thor returned home from his stay at the hospital, things were mercifully ordinary. On the ride home, the conversation between he, Loki, and Brunnhilde had been easy. They spoke of previous adventures, smiling and laughing practically the whole ride. The Valkyrie dropped them off at their home and Loki let them inside.</p>
<p>As Thor stepped into the small house, he couldn’t help but grin when he saw his keys still hanging on the small rack by the door. Even though it felt a little strange, being back again, this small place still felt like home. A small part of Thor worried it wouldn’t.</p>
<p>Loki made his way to the kitchen and Thor went to the bedroom to unpack his things. Putting his bag on the bed, Thor unzipped it and started pulling things out, placing them in neat piles on the bed. It didn’t take very long and he completed the task much quicker than he anticipated. As Thor placed the now empty bag back inside the closet, he felt a small sense of accomplishment. Glancing to the door, he could smell a heavenly aroma. It was similar to an Aesir dish he had always been fond of and Thor’s mouth watered at the thought of it.</p>
<p>He left the bedroom and made his way to the kitchen, where he found Loki standing near the stove. The trickster barely glanced at him, focused entirely on the oven.</p>
<p>“Some of the bakers in town have figured out how to recreate some of the dishes we used to have in Asgard,” Loki mentioned. “They’re not the same, but they’re not terrible either. I know you always had a fondness for this particular dish.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure it will be delicious,” Thor replied. Loki smirked, glancing over at his brother.</p>
<p>“After whatever they serve in Midgardian hospitals, I am certain most things would be,” he replied. Thor snorted and sat back.</p>
<p>“Things were quiet around here, I take it,” he mentioned.</p>
<p>“If by quiet you mean boring, then yes. Things were quiet,” Loki replied, glancing at the timer. “I daresay they were too quiet even for your liking.”</p>
<p>“I have learned to appreciate peaceful times.”</p>
<p>Loki made a noncommittal sound in response, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the counter. Thor hesitated, considering his words.</p>
<p>“Loki?” he waited until his brother was looking at him. “Brunnhilde called a few days prior to my being discharged. She mentioned you seemed a little tired for the past week.”</p>
<p>“Bah, she worries too much,” Loki replied with a dismissive wave. “I’m fine.”</p>
<p>“But you have been sleeping all right?” Thor pressed. Loki gave him a look.</p>
<p>“Yes, brother. I have been sleeping fine.”</p>
<p>Thor might have said more, but the timer on the oven went off. Loki retrieved some oven mitts and pulled open the oven door. Taking out a large dish, he brought it over to the table. The god of thunder watched him carefully, but he could see nothing amiss. Then again, Loki had always been infuriatingly good at concealing things.</p>
<p>It was a good meal and the brothers spoke of many things, enjoying being in each other’s company. Thor felt more at ease than he had for quite some time. It was good to be home again.</p>
<p>_*_</p>
<p>In the middle of the night, Thor jerked awake. His heart was beating faster than it normally did, but it wasn’t pounding and he didn’t feel out of breath. Sighing, he rubbed his eye. He’d had a bad dream, his memory wandering back to that awful moment Thanos had snapped his fingers. That moment when they had lost. Because of Thor’s brashness.</p>
<p>Rolling onto his back, Thor looked up to the ceiling. He’d never spoken of that moment during group sessions, but he had spoken at length about it to his therapist at the facility. While he still felt guilt about his inability to prevent the Snap, it was no longer overwhelming. It was one of those things he was learning to come to terms with.</p>
<p>A soft gasp drew him out of his thoughts. Thor frowned and looked across the room to Loki’s bed. His brother was twisting and turning in his bed, obviously not sleeping peacefully. Thor opened his mouth to call to him, but closed it when he remembered Brunnhilde telling him her suspicions. <em>“He hasn’t been sleeping well. I can tell from how groggy he is.”</em></p>
<p>Throughout his life, Loki had suffered the occasional spell of insomnia. There would be periods where he just could not sleep. The healers claimed it was because his mind was too busy. After all that had happened, Thor suspected it might be more than that. His brother had endured much during the war and though he had healed, he still carried the burden of his memories.</p>
<p>Another soft whimper had Thor out of his bed and padding across the room. When he reached Loki’s bedside, he saw a single tear crawl down Loki’s cheek. The trickster’s face twisted briefly, and he turned over again, mumbling in his sleep. Thor reached out and gently ran a hand over Loki’s hair. He could feel the way his brother was trembling.</p>
<p>“Thor,” Loki whispered shakily, still asleep. “Come back.”</p>
<p>Leaning forward, Thor gently kissed his brow. He moved around to the other side the bed, the place where he used to sleep before Loki had acquired another bed. The same spot where he frequently wound up after a horrific nightmare or panic episode, where his brother would comfort him until he fell back to sleep.</p>
<p>Getting under the covers, Thor wrapped his arms around his brother, holding him close, as Loki had frequently done for him. The tension left Loki’s body and he stopped thrashing around. Thor wondered if he had awoken, but Loki merely sighed and nestled down more. He was still trembling, much to Thor’s chagrin. The god of thunder knew his brother would never willingly speak of what haunted his dreams. He had come to accept that was just how Loki was, though it did sting a little.</p>
<p>“I wish it were easier for you to share your burdens,” Thor whispered to his sleeping brother. “I wish it were easier for us both to do so. It was many nights before I was able to speak of what haunted me to the psychiatrist in the hospital. She was a great help to me, and I learned many important things about mental health from her.”</p>
<p>Loki’s breathing quickened a little and Thor felt him grip his arm. He hugged him a little tighter, burying his nose in Loki’s hair briefly. His brother had spent so much time caring for the god of thunder, making sure he was comfortable, making sure Thor didn’t feel like a burden. He even gave the god of thunder small tasks to do so Thor felt he was contributing to the home. Thor wondered how many nights Loki had gone without sleep. How many nights had Loki’s dreams been troubled? Unlike Thor, there was no one to comfort the trickster.</p>
<p>At least, there hadn’t been before.</p>
<p>“It’s okay, Loki. I shall protect you from whatever haunts your sleep and your memories. I shall be here whenever you wish to speak,” Thor promised him.</p>
<p>Loki stopped trembling and his breathing evened out. Thor smiled and closed his eye. He knew they would still have trying times. Wars left scars and they had both experienced great losses during the war of the gauntlet. Thor had thought his brother lost and Loki had lost Thor.</p>
<p>As he started drifting off to sleep, Thor vowed to show Loki the same patience the trickster had showed him. Loki might never open up to him and Thor was okay with that. He had learned much about how people healed from trauma and knew that his brother likely healed differently than himself.</p>
<p>Thor fell asleep, still holding his now peacefully sleeping brother.</p>
<p>_*_</p>
<p>
  <em>Thor sat on his bed, shaking. He rubbed his palms together, his eye on the mirror. “Come on, come on,” he thought. Earlier in the afternoon, he had called Loki and asked his brother to appear. He didn’t need to physically visit, but Thor wanted to see him. He needed to see him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Why?” Loki asked, obviously confused. Thor considered lying as he ran his hand over his hair.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Because…” Thor paused, his voice shaking a little. He sighed and dropped his head, too tired to come up with a story. “Because I have been having nightmares for the past few days and I cannot sleep.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Loki was quiet for a moment.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Do you think you might be having a vision?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Thor closed his eye and shook his head. “No. No. It’s not a vision. Those feel different. They unfold differently. My visions don’t bring me to the past.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Loki didn’t respond for a while and Thor feared he was about to hang up the phone. Even though the trickster had never done so before. It seemed like every other day, Thor was calling his brother. Sometimes he just needed to hear Loki’s voice. The dark-haired god always humored the god of thunder, though perhaps Loki enjoyed hearing his brother’s voice too.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Very well. I shall cast an illusion after your evening meal,” Loki agreed.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The evening meal had ended more than two hours ago and Thor had been watching the mirror for what felt like an eternity. Running his hands over his face, Thor sighed, considering turning in for the evening. Loki had more important matters to see to. He was in charge of New Asgard and there were more pressing matters than his institutionalized brother.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Apologies for the delay.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Thor dropped his hands and looked over to where an illusion of his brother sat beside him. Loki was leaning back, the very picture of relaxed. He grinned at the god of thunder.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m afraid I had reached a rather interesting part of the book I have been reading and time got away from me,” he finished. Thor felt a tear roll down his cheek and dropped his head. He hated how much bad dreams still upset him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Thor?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The god of thunder slumped back. “I dreamed of the Statesman again, of that awful day. The war unfolded exactly as it had, but you never returned. I did not fall, but you never returned. You were lost forever and I was completely alone.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He felt a faint coolness against the side of his face and stared in shock at his brother.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Shhh,” Loki soothed. “‘Twas only a bad dream, brother. I am here.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Thor studied him, sniffling. “Sometimes…I still wish I had perished while relighting the forges. I feel if I would have fallen then, things would be easier for my shieldbrothers and the Aesir.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He was ashamed of his confession, but Thor felt he owed it to Loki to be honest with him. And he did not feel comfortable keeping such dark thoughts to himself, not anymore.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>A look of hurt briefly flickered across Loki’s face. He gently stroked Thor’s cheek with his thumb and even though Thor couldn’t physically feel it, there was that comforting faint coolness of the illusion’s touch. Thor hadn’t realized an illusion could touch a physical form without dissipating. Then again, he really didn’t know the extent of his brother’s powers. Thor’s powers had grown and there was no doubt in his mind that Loki’s had as well.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Things would not have been easier for me,” Loki said softly. “I would have had no home to return to. I would likely still be hunted by a monster.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Loki paused for a moment, conflict dancing across his face. “I would be alone.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Thor swallowed and watched him. “What if I never get better, Loki?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I don’t think that likely,” Loki replied. “But, if you feel you are no longer healing in this place, tell me and I shall take you home. Then we will figure something out.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Thor smiled shakily. “You have always enjoyed unsolvable problems.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Loki grinned. “Well, those are the most interesting kinds.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Thor sighed and turned his face to the side. He reached out to where his brother’s hand rested, holding his own just over it and wishing he could grasp the trickster’s. Loki seemed to read his thoughts and turned his hand over, so their palms were just shy of touching. Thor smiled.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I miss you,” he whispered.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I know,” Loki replied. “The house feels strange without you.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Thor closed his eye, wishing he could return home that night. However, he knew he still had much to learn and plenty more healing to do. The god of thunder was not ready to return home just yet.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Thank you, Loki,” Thor said softly. “For coming here. I know this place makes you uncomfortable.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You’re my brother,” Loki replied. “And I had no pressing matters.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Thor grinned, his heart warming. He did so love his brother and he was starting to learn about the ways Loki showed he loved him as well. It made him appreciate the trickster even more.</em>
</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>“Thor?”</p>
<p>Thor’s eye fluttered open and he yawned. Looking over to Loki, he noticed his brother was squinting against the sunlight that was creeping in through the blinds. His eyes were half-open and Loki seemed barely awake.</p>
<p>“Did you have a nightmare?” Loki asked around a yawn. Thor opened his mouth and then closed it again, thinking better of trying to deceive Loki. <em>But I did wake up from a bad dream,</em> he realized. Technically, it wouldn’t be a lie. Looking back to Loki, he nodded.</p>
<p>“Mmhm,” he mumbled, his eyelid already feeling heavy again.</p>
<p>“Do you wish to speak of it?” Loki asked, groggily. Thor shook his head. “Very well.”</p>
<p>Thor pulled the covers more over his shoulder, studying his brother for a moment. Loki’s eyes were already closed. Glancing up to where the sunlight was starting to stream through the blinds, Thor looked back to his brother.</p>
<p>“Do you need to go to the town hall, Loki?”</p>
<p>Loki shook his head, not opening his eyes. “No.”</p>
<p>“Aren’t there matters relating to the running of New Asgard?”</p>
<p>“I took the week off,” Loki said, pausing to yawn. “I assumed you would like some assistance readjusting to life here.”</p>
<p>At one time, such an implication would have wounded Thor’s pride. He likely would have snapped at his brother or insulted him, pushed him away. The god of thunder would have claimed he didn’t need his brother and driven a wedge further between them.</p>
<p>But after all they had been through together, Thor felt his heart warm at Loki’s gesture. Thor had hoped to be granted some time to readjust, to ease his way back into a normal routine and life. He assumed he would be doing it alone, but with Loki’s help, it would be somewhat easier.</p>
<p>Thor leaned forward and rested his brow against Loki’s temple. He felt his brother turn his head slightly.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Thor whispered, his voice wobbling a little. He felt Loki nod and Thor smiled faintly. Seeking out his brother’s hand, he gently grasped it as his eye slid shut and he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.</p>
<p>It was still a long road he had ahead of him, but Thor knew it was one he didn’t have to walk alone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>The End</em>
  </strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>